RestlessMonkey

Trust your surgeon. You're doing fine. Restriction is a funny animal; sometimes it seems to come and go on a whim. You talked with your doctor; that was the right thing to do! Keep at it!

When were you banded? Call your doc, describe the symtoms, see what he (or his staff) says! We all heal differently; what was true for someone else on here isn't necessarily true for you. If you're in pain, find out why!

Call your insurance and ask them what they require. Insurance isn't one size fits all...

I figure if they wanted your help they'd ask you for it. Seriously, if someone just took it upon him/herself to tell me how to lose weight it would just make me madder than a hornet. It's dicey. Worry about yourself, do your thing. You can tell them you have the band. If asked tell them how much you've lost. Then they can say "HOW!" and you can help. By the way, why on EARTH would her improper eating make YOU ashamed of what you've accomplished? That's goofy thinking, Bigpapa! You've done well for yourself and your family. Maybe admitting that would've helped her realize she could be farther along by now. If you don't want to be "proud" of what you've done, at least own it. You've worked and lost. Being honest about that may help others.

They are all different...ask them how long to expect each time. They'll be your best source. And a warning! You'll be going to your surgeon frequently during the first year...once you're cleared post op you'll be going up to once a month for a while (or more, depending...for fills, check ups, etc) Very exciting that you're on your way but make sure the distance won't keep you from going to get your fills etc.

Make sure if you go outside your city/county for surgery (to the next city, next state, next country, wherever!) that you line up after care before you go...or plan to go back to your surgery site frequently during the first year. Getting the band is the tip of the iceberg; aftercare is what makes it work and keeps it working. You will have fills and health issues come up and will need quick access. MANY surgeons will not readily take on someone else's patient regardless of who the banding surgeon or where. So line up that aftercare first.

I'm tricare standard....didn't need a referral but my PCM would've given me one if I'd needed it.

Depending on your insurance you want to pick a surgeon and facility in your insurance network so your best place to start is THERE...otherwise you may go through part of the process only to find the surgeon doesn't accept your insurance. Good luck!

Your surgery wasn't cancelled, just postponed. I was told it could happen to me but fortunately my ecg showed what I thought...that my heart was/is fine. Wouldn't you REALLY rather be safe? I know it's disappointing but it's worth it. You want the odds on your side here.

Stephanie on threads like this with multiple posts you need to indicate who you're "talking to"...especially when you are asking something not directly related to the original post! :cursing: You can use "quote" (the button bottom right of each post) to quote the person you're asking (neat feature) or you can just type in their screen name. That way we'll know who you're asking!

Welcome! You'll do fine! I bought a couple of cook books but the post op diets don't really last long enough (IMHO) to require them...and once healed, I eat what the family eats, just less.

See, there you go! This is a great Board but hope you've learned to always WAIT to panic until you confirm with your own doctor/insurance/team! :cursing: This procedure is NOT cookie cutter and each person's experiences are a little different; what is true for one person isn't necessarily true for the next! Good luck to you!

Check to confirm that restriction with your doctor. It's dated advice. They "used" to think you had to wait HOURS but new data shows you don't....my surgeon recently revised his rules from 1 hour pre and post to 15 minutes pre and post. So do what your surgeon suggests, of course, but reverify with him.

If you'll check the statistics band slippage/erosion rates are VERY low, 1-5% over the life of the band. That's NOTHING. Even if it happens, often it can be fixed! Not to push the band, of course, if it's right for you you'll know. But other WLS and staying FAT both carry higher percentages of risk than that small rate. You should go to the seminar my doctor runs at Northeast Baptist. He's really informative and realistic.

Tyme2getrite: Sorry you can't eat it! And that your doc told you NO! It's always safest, rather than to assume a food is taboo, to ask our docs/surgeons/team..for example, mine says ok if well done, yours says no. It amazes me the variation in "rules". You need to do what works for you and what your doc says, of course!

Call your surgeon's office and ask! Good luck! :thumbdown:

There are many different things an ecg can show with varying degrees of danger. Not all things will require an elective surgery to be cancelled. Just wait and see what your doc says.

You need to call your surgeon and find out what THEY suggest you do. Only he knows what kind of knot, suture material, etc etc. And Hugs to you when I say this...you need to line up local care and fills. This won't be your only issue. That's the big drawback to going out of your city (and I mean that...next state, next country, doesn't matter) the aftercare is as important as the band itself and you need to have access to it. Line it up now. (Who'd buy a car if you couldn't get gas and oil changes for it? The band without follow up care is pretty similar)

you'll lose if you take in less than you expend. Period. If you take in 1000 calories of fat and refined sugar and burn 1500 calories a day you'll lose 1 pound a week. You'll be unhealthy and your hair and teeth will fall out, but you'll lose! If you have insulin issues (not just diabetic either; many obese people have insulin resistance) then eating the "wrong" thing can trigger hunger and also have you hold on to the calories rather than using them up. (you get sluggish...and your body stores the "energy" for later). In an otherwise healthy indivitual though, if you want an occasional cookie or some whipped cream or a cocktail it isn't going to hurt you as long as that IN is less than the OUT. And even insulin resistant people can have an occasional moderate (key word there) indulgence and lose.

Mariposa: I'd think you don't want to have eaten just before a fill but that's just me and thinking it through...if you have already had a fill and are getting some restriction you don't want to tinker with the size of your stoma (hole between pouch and the rest of your stomach)....and even if it's your 1st and you just ate it MAY make you nauseated (people react in different ways) so I'd say, to be on the safe side, no eating 2-3 hours before, and only water etc up to 15-30 min before. IF you have time though it would be safest to call your doc. He may have NO restrictions. My ideas are just that...ideas. Use only as a last resort! :tongue2:

Good luck! I hope it's only 6! :tongue2:

If you're still worried, then discuss it with your surgeon so s/he can put your mind at ease!

Just do what YOUR insurance says and you'll be fine. That's the downside to this board, what is true for one person isn't necessarily true for another, and you need to do exactly what your surgeon and his support team tell you to do. Same with insurance; employers can modifiy it and it can vary from state to state depending on state law. This place can be a great source of support and information but you need to always check with YOUR team if you get contradictory info!

Hey Aggie...I would ask HER why she's so negative. Tell HER what you've told us. That may just be her personality, or she may have experience that tells her they are going to deny you. Only she can really really answer your question. I weighed 405 and got approved in 2 days with no comorbidities, so I'd say "NO that's not "normal" but that doesn't really apply to your situation. Call her Monday and ask her. If she's just negative by nature, then blow her off. But she may have been denied by the company for cases similar to yours; in which case you could ask her what to do to appeal!

When were you banded? Have you followed your surgeons directions? If you have deviated from his instructions, how egregious was the deviation? Did you, like one poster, eat a hamburger at 2 days post op? Or did you eat a hamburger at 6 weeks post op? (big difference there) Do you have pain? The band CAN slip for no apparent reason. Usually, however, slipping and erosion (and both are rare; less than 5% of all cases) is caused by the person abusing the band in some way. Either by "cheating" on their post op diet, or by, for example, being too tight and vomiting and vomiting and VOMITING (once the band is healed I think it takes a LOT to dislodge it) Erosion and slipping are nothing any of us want. So if you just follow YOUR SURGEON"S rules (not what someone here tells you they got away with) odds are that you'll never ever had that problem!